The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has formally opened the bidding process for its first franchised bus services, inviting operators to participate in the delivery of its planned People’s Network from September 2027.
The authority confirmed on 2 April that it has launched the Procurement Specific Questionnaire / Invitation to Participate, marking the start of a two-stage procurement process that will underpin Phase 1 of franchising in the region.
Initial contracts will cover services operating from Leger Way in Doncaster and Olive Grove in Sheffield. Operators will be limited to securing a maximum of one of the two available lots.
The full franchising programme will roll out in three phases, with subsequent procurement rounds scheduled for 2028 and 2029. Later phases are expected to include a broader mix of contract sizes, including “packages specifically designed to support and encourage participation from smaller operators.”
The procurement launch follows a period of rapid progress for SYMCA’s franchising programme. Earlier this month the authority completed the acquisition of six bus depots from incumbent operators, bringing them into public ownership some 17 months ahead of the first franchised services going live.
SYMCA says the procurement framework has been shaped in collaboration with nearly 30 operators through a series of engagement sessions. The milestone has been accompanied by a £33.4 million government funding award to support the introduction of 187 zero-emission buses at the Olive Grove depot, which is set to be fully electrified as part of the transition.
Comments Matt Goggins, Director of Bus Franchising: “This next phase of procurement is where things start to become real. It’s about turning what people have told us into something deliverable, and doing that in a way that’s open, collaborative and rooted in South Yorkshire.
“Public control means we can make decisions locally, but importantly we’re doing that in partnership with others. We’ve worked closely with operators to shape the contracts we are tendering for, so this isn’t something that’s happening at arm’s length, it’s been informed by the people who understand what works on the ground. At its core, this is about building a better network for the people who rely on it every day and making sure the investment we’re making delivers real value for communities across South Yorkshire.
A separate procurement process is underway to appoint manufacturers for the buses that will carry People’s Network branding.
